The Beat of the Drum
by Inutori
Summary: -ON HOLD- AU OK, so my family just moved in to live with my halfsister, her boyfriend wants to kill me, and I just started high school with complete strangers. How much worse/weirder can my life get? R&R, please
1. Moving In

**Inutori:** My muse has been putting in overtime recently and I've been coming up with a lot more ideas. Some are originals, and others are fanfics.  
**Inuyasha:** Yeah, and they're all fanfics for MY anime.  
**Inutori:** Oh yeah, and I don't own Inuyasha…

Chapter 1  
Moving In

The first day of school freshman year seems to be a blast for everyone but me. I just moved to this town and I don't know anyone, but perhaps I really don't want to know anyone. My elder half-sister was supposed to show me around today, but she ditched me for her boyfriend before the first bell. How am I supposed to know where my classes are?

Students around me in the hall only speak in quiet whispers by me, and I just know I'm the topic of all of their conversations. I always am. So I just walk on by without saying a word.

My lips feel dry from the lack of movement coming from my mouth, the teacher's voice drills a boring hole into my forehead as I listen, and my eyes begin to water while my sight gets blurrier. Was this how it is going to be everyday?

School let out at three and I begin slowly making my way home. I walk past a group of students that appear to be a "popular" group. They glance my way every once in a while then turn back to the main horde to make snide comments.

She's in that group. My elder sister is standing there, looking beautiful as always. Her boyfriend is standing next to her with an arm around her waist. How despicable. I wonder if mom knows what Kikyou does during the school day.

* * *

At home, I slump down onto the couch in the main room and turn on the TV. No one else is home yet, since mom is at work and Soutaleft a message on the phone saying he is goingover to a friend's house to play. All that's playing is soaps so I turn the TV back off and haul my backpack up to my new room. 

Everything is still in the moving boxes. I haven't yet had time to unpack with all that has been happening. Kikyou's dad just passed away in a car accident and she is now in mom's custody. Instead of the fifteen-year-old coming to live with us, we moved to her. I guess my mom's first husband's house also belongs to her now and it is a lot nicer than the old shrine.

My grandfather stayed back to manage the shrine while the rest of us moved to an entirely new city. I don't know if I'll be missing him yet, since he could get quite annoying at times.

Laughing floats up the stairs from below. Kikyou must be home. And by the sounds of it, she brought some of her lackeys with her. It quiets down again and I can hear the sounds of the big screen TV downstairs.

Going downstairs doesn't seem too enticing at the moment, so I sit down on my bed and stare at the wall. Today has been a long day, and by the looks of it, itis destined to get longer.

Taking in a deep breath, I stand up and begin unpacking some of the boxes. Clothes first, since those are a necessity.

Someone is coming up the stairs and by the heavy thudding of the footsteps I can tell that it isn't Kikyou. My door isn't locked and I begin to hate myself for not locking it when it flies open to reveal Kikyou's boyfriend. I don't know his name, but he has long black hair tied back in a low ponytail and violet eyes.

He seems to glare at me for a second before stepping into the room over hordes of boxes and making his way to my bathroom.

"Get out of my room." I stand up and try to beat him to the bathroom connected to my room.

"Make me." His voice is a low growl and from what I can tell this guy has only one thing going; that is his looks. Otherwise he seems to be a low-life jerk.

I jump him from behind and start pulling on his ears: something that always seems to work when dealing with stuck-up brats.

"Let go of me, wench!" He grabs my hands and rips them off of his ears, andthen flips me over his head so that I am standing in front of him with my hands twisted behind my back. Man is this guy strong.

"Kya! You're hurting me!" I cringe in pain as his nails dig into my forearms. By this point I wouldn't be surprised if he has drawn blood.

"You asked for it, girlie!" He twists my arms even more until tears beginfalling down my face.

"L-let go!"

"Keh."

He lets go of me and steps into my bathroom. Looking down at my arms, they are bright red and have puncture wounds from where his nails had dug into me. Blood swells up in each of the cuts and I go into my mother's bathroom for the first aid kit.

How can Kikyou want to have a guy like that for a boyfriend? He's so violent; and to be able to beat up on girl like that is kind of scary. What does he do when it's a guy that ticks him off? To be honest, I really don't want to know.

I wrap both arms in white bandages to stop the bleeding. Perhaps mom won't notice and will just think I was out training again. After all, I used to practice kendo and archery back at the shrine and when I did those I would wrap my arms in cloth to give myself a little extra protection.

Sighing, I stand up and look at myself in the mirror. My black hair is in two braids that come down to mid-back, and the t-shirt I'm wearing has blood…

OK, so I need to change my shirt thanks to that idiot. But other than that, I look like I usually do. So I leave the bathroom with my head held high and go back into my own room to continue unpacking.

I hope that Kikyou's boyfriend is done; I'd rather not have another encounter with him. With the kitchen knife sitting on one of the boxes I slit open the tape sealing some of my personal belongings.

My ear twitches when I hear the toilet flush and the sink in my bathroom turn on. Great, so that pig wasn't done yet. I don't quite know what to do. Defy him and just stay where I am, or run out of the room in a mad rush to avoid him? I guess I need to work on thinking faster, because I am still in my state of indecision when the door opens and the teenage bully steps out of the bathroom and into my bedroom.

His eyes meet mine before glancing down at my arms where the bandages are. What I saw as a pained expression crosses his face before he silently leaves my room. Once he is gone I take a chance to look down at my armsand I see the dark splotches of blood seeping through the cloth.

I guess the bleeding hasn't stopped yet.

With a shrug, I continue unpacking in silence and listen in to what is going on downstairs. Most of the noise has stopped and the laughing is dying down quickly. People are probably leaving by now.

Then I hear Kikyou's light footsteps bounding up the stairs and once again I regrett leaving my door unlocked.

She throws open my door andI note thather face is wrinkled in obvious anger; I wouldn't be too surprised if steam starts to come out of her ears. Actually, that'd be very amusing.

"What did you do to Inuyasha!"

**I  
Do  
Not  
Sleep**

**A/N** Well, can't expect too much out of a girl, can you? Review, then if you have time, go check out some of my other stories…


	2. Torturous Living

**Inutori:** Sorry it took so long to update, I've been distracted.  
**Inuyasha:** You liar, you were just being lazy.  
**Inutori:** Oh, shut up! Kagome!  
**Kagome:** What is it THIS time?  
**Inutori:** That jerk :pointing to Inuyasha: is insulting me.  
**Kagome:** :cough: hypocrite :cough:  
**Inuyasha:** Well Inutori started it by making me be so arrogant!  
**Inutori:** Did not! I don't own you, I didn't create you! I only use you in my fanfic stories because I like Rumiko's story!  
**Inuyasha:** Keh…

_**Chapter 2  
Torturous Living**_

"What did you do to Inuyasha!"

I wince at her loud screech. What is her problem? Did I somehow mess up her _perfect_ life? "I didn't do a thing to that violent jerk!" Maybe I shouldn't have answered the hysterical girl how I did, because she certainly doesn't take it too well.

"Inuyasha is NOT a jerk! You are! He didn't say anything when he came back downstairs and he just left! You had to have done something to him, ugly!"

Kikyou has called me ugly since we were only seven and she had come to visit us. I don't know why she did it: it was probably just to annoy me. You'd think that a fifteen-year-old would be more mature than as to result in childish name-calling; I guess not. "I didn't do anything to him! I'm not lying!" We are having a yelling match and I am not about to lose. Good thing mom isn't home. "He came up here and used MY bathroom and then left! You go a problem with that?"

"You're not telling me the whole truth! I already knew he came up here to use the bathroom; that doesn't explain why he just decided to _leave _when he came back down!"

"I'm sorry if I can't explain the workings of your boyfriend's pee-sized brain! Just get out of my room!"

I'm sure my face is red by this point, but as long as my lungs can hold out, I'll keep going. Kikyou turns red as well, but I think it is for a different reason. She quiets down to a low whisper and looks down at the floor.

"He's not my boyfriend…anymore." She glares at me again, her mellowness obviously leaving in a flash of rage. "Inuyasha will probably never want to come over again thanks to you! Ugh, I HATE YOU!" She flings up her arms and stomps over to her own roomdown the hall, apparently giving up.

I smirk to myself, having successfully won the match against my half-sister. Wait…that guy ISN'T her boyfriend? Than why were they so intimate and stuff at school? That is just freaky. Just hopefully she is right and he won't ever want to come over again, but knowing my luck, I'll be seeing a lot more of that jerk.

Heaving a sigh, I unpack a couple of boxes before collapsing back onto my bed. I have been here for less than twenty-four hours and already I have managed to make myself two enemies. Unfortunately, I'm not really a social bug so I haven't made any new friends to balance it out. This is Tokyo all over again.

I think I fell asleep, because next thing I know, I hear mom calling up the stairs for supper. How times flies.

Pulling myself up off of the bed, I yawn and head out of my room. While on the stairs I can smell the scent of pizza wafting up my way. Seems that even mom wants to make everything quick and easy while we're still settling in.

Downstairs, everyone takes a seat at the small table to eat the junk food before us. Everyone except Kikyou, that is.

"I am NOT eating that garbage, I'll get fat!" She gawks at me as I pause from my inhaling of a slice of pizza. "And Kagome, honestly, if you eat like that you'll never get a boyfriend."

I am sure to swallow the food in my mouth before I respond. "And what makes you think I want one?" Her eye seems to twitch, but she says nothing in response to my comment so I just continue eating.

Kikyou goes over to the fridge and takes out an apple to begin eating. Her bites are little and dainty, like a toddler's, and she chews slower than a cow. I just can't stop staring at her like she is an alien the entire meal, but perhaps she IS at least half alien. After all, we had different dads.

She eats about half of the apple before throwing the rest away and saying she is full. What a waste of a perfectly good apple.

Mom looks to Souta and me, a forced smile on her face. Apparently she too is having problems digesting Kikyou's strange ways and wasteful behavior. "How was your first day of school?"

"Oh! It was great! I met this boy named Kohaku and we get along real well! It was his house that I went to! He says he has a big sister too that comes from the depths of-"

"Souta! You will say no such thing at this table!" My ears nearly explode with that shriek of my mom's. I think I could have lived my life without that little outburst.

"Well, he has a big sister too." Souta looks down at his hands and swallows.

"Mom, may I be excused?" I look at my mom with a calm expression, trying not to vent my anger at what Souta had almost said. Then again, it isn't exactly a false statement. I will openly admit to that.

Mom nods and I stand up to leave the kitchen. It's a good thing Souta has distracted mom, or I would have had to tell her about MY day. That wouldn't go so well. She'd probably call the school and demand that the teachers talk to their students about playing nice. I'm in high school for crying out loud; I can take care of myself!

I meander up the staircase, listening in to what my mother is scolding Souta for. Then I hear Kikyou on the phone in her room. Her door is cracked open so I take it upon myself to inch towards the door pressed against the wall to hear what she is saying.

"Honey, you know with these peddlers here you can't spend the night…yeah, State gave that wench custody of…no, I don't think she'd mind if I went over there…why would I ask that old hag if I could go out?…of course I don't listen to her…yeah…I'll be over in ten minutes, see you then…love ya…bye."

The phone clicks and I listen to the bedsprings creak as Kikyou shifts or stands up. I take that as my cue to get to my own room, so I leg it back down the hall towards the stairs and slip into my room before Kikyou exits hers.

So, Kikyou is going to go spend the night at someone's house on a school night, and from the sounds of it, it isn't any girlfriend. Yuck!

I slump down on the bed, still wearing my jeans, and close my eyes.

Only they shoot open again when the sight in my window registers in my brain. There on the windowsill is a silver-haired boy. He is staring at me curiously, and he continues staring even after I have obviously seen him.

The guy doesn't look too intimidating so I cautiously approach the window and look at him up close. His eyes are an amber color and his ears are perched on the top of his head like a canine's. Actually, the longer I stare the cuter he seems.

He points a clawed finger at the closed window and I get the impression that he wants me to open it. I am in a trance from those eyes and it doesn't seem my body wants to obey my mind. Inwardly I scream that he could be a rapist and that I should run downstairs, but my hands slowly move forward and unlock the window.

Once it is unlocked, the boy rips open the window and jumps in; his clothing and hair are dripping wet.

I glance outside and see that it is pouring rain: then I hear some rolling thunder. Where there's thunder, there's lightning.

"Took long enough, wench." The man shakes off similar to what I've seen wet dogs do, and then he sits down on my bed. "I thought I'd be out there all night." He falls back and puts his arms behind his neck, looking over at me.

Okay, so he isn't trying to rape me yet, but he is in my room, on my bed. I am a little more than freaked out by now. "N-nani yo?" My eyes open and close a few times as I stand by the window, stark still.

"Oh, didn't Kikyou tell you? This is where I stay every night." A smirk plays on his lips and I know I am doomed. This guy not only looks strong, but he also has sharp nails and fangs.

**I  
Do  
Not  
Sleep**

**Inutori:** Okay, if I get enough reviews, I can guarantee it won't be UNDER a certain length.  
**Kagome:** You're a poor planner, you know that?  
**Inutori:** Yeah, you're point? I already knew that.  
**Kagome:** Once an idiot, always an idiot.  
**Inutori:** Hey! You just insulted me, didn't you!  
**Kagome:** Inutori no baka!  
**Inutori:** …keh  
**Inuyasha:** Don't forget to review so the story will go on.  
**Inutori:** Oh, and just so people know, I DO write for fun, it's just that I never know how long the chapters that I post should be, so I set up a curriculum to know how much I should put in the next chapter. So REVIEW, and sayonara till next chapter!


	3. Just Great

**Inuyasha:** (dancing around) I'm free! Free from that evil wench's clutches, free from the rosary! Free from everyth-  
**Inutori:** (in sugar filled voice) Oh Inuyasha! Guess what? I'm baack from my shopping!  
**Inuyasha:** Gah! Get away from me you wench!  
**Kagome:** Inuyasha, let go of me, I can't breath!  
**Inuyasha:** …  
**Kagome:** You're not letting go…  
**Inutori:** (cough)Well then, on with the chapter…oh, but before you go, I would like to know, should I keep Inutori as my penname, or should I change it to **_Torineko_**? I've been debating about changing it for a while, but I finally found a suitable name, tell me in your reviews, please.

_**Chapter 3  
Just Great**_

I nearly scream in my frustration with this silver-haired weirdo. All of the alarms in my head are going off as I stare at the boy cockily looking at me while making no movement to budge from his place.

"Will you turn out the lights already? I want to catch some z's, you know." His tone of voice just screams to me that he is some overconfident jerk just begging for me to throw him back out the window.

Through clenched teeth I manage to speak to him without alerting my mother as to my predicament. "Get. Out. Of. My. Room." Then it dawns on me that Kikyou left to go to her boyfriend's house for the night. If Kikyou really does let this guy stay here every night, then she should keep him in her own room.

A pair of white, dog-like ears swivel on top of his head towards me as I begin to hyperventilate. The brash smirk on his features only gets bigger as he obviously becomes aware of how angered I am at his presence. "I don't have to go anywhere. This is where I always sleep."

"Well, tonight you can sleep in Kikyou's bed. Cuz' you are NOT sleeping in mine." My fists clench and unclench and I don't budge from my position as I watch him with seething anger. He makes no movement to budge and I build up my courage to walk up to him and kick him out by force.

Stomping over to the bed, I jerk down a hand and latch it around one of his fuzzy white ears. If I weren't so angry, I probably would have tweaked the soft triangles of fur, but that isn't to be the case. I pull him by his ear out of my room and down the hall to my half-sister's room, dumping him in and slamming the door behind him forcefully.

The dog-boy yelped and growled all the way to Kikyou's room, and I think I might have closed the door on some of his fingers, because I hear an angry growl and a few swear words that my oh-so-innocent ears do not need to know about.

"Is something wrong, Kagome?" I turn to see my mother rushing up the stairs, pulling her robes closed, obviously in a rush to check on what the racket was.

It was meant to be quiet, but with that weird boy howling at me for holding his ear it wasn't exactly as silent as the wind. So I look innocently at my mom and smile. "Nothing's wrong, okaa-san. Kikyou has a strange pet that was in my room and I was just returning it to her."

My mom usually takes everything in stride, and this is no exception. I have a theory that when she was young the smile-and-nod method of dealing with things was driven in a little too deeply. Once again she smiled blankly and went back downstairs to go to bed. But for once I am grateful she didn't pry any further into the matter.

So I sigh to myself and go back to bed, not forgetting to change into my pajamas first. Climbing into bed, I lay awake for several minutes, having already taken a several hour nap and not feeling in the least bit tired. But as I listen to the constant pelting of the rain on the roof and the gently rolling thunder in the distance, I find myself being lulled to sleep.

_I am in a room, standing in a corner, watching something happen to myself. It is one of those times where instead of experiencing first person, your spirit drifts elsewhere to watch the events in third. But that usually only happened when something bad is about to happen; but what is it?_

_A man with long, wavy black hair tied up in a ponytail towers over my cowering form. I seem to be pleading with him to stop. The emotion I feel is fear. In his hand I locate a dagger and realize that this is no joke._

_The man raises the hand holding the dagger and I watch my body scramble to its feet and run away in a mad dash. In a flash the man is following after, but instead of running he is…gliding? My view of the scene moves as my body flees from the man with the sharp projectile. I watch silently as my body screams out a three-syllable name and calls him a lying traitor._

_I beg for his mercy and tell him I'd do anything. But from the few clothes I am wearing, I guess that he has already gotten enough. My body is wrapped in a white bed sheet and the only thing I seem to be wearing underneath that is a pair of underwear. What has happened before this point is a mystery._

_Fear seems to be radiating off of my body fleeing from the murderous man. A bridge nears and my form runs onto it without a second thought. The two figures are halfway across the overpass when I flinch as I watch my right shoulder get gouged by the knife just before I fall off of the bridge into the rushing river below._

_My view follows my limp body to the body of water; and that's when I see it. The woman falling to her doom is Kikyou, and not I._

I jerk to a sitting position in my bed, sweat covering my body. It was a nightmare; it was only a nightmare, nothing to be afraid of. And yet, I have the gut feeling that something is seriously wrong; and that I am about to get dragged into the middle of it.

The images of my dream replay over and over in my head as I lay back down and try to get back to sleep. Eventually I do drift off and dream about much more pleasant things that I forgot the moment I open my eyes to look at the rising sun.

Apparently morning has come already and it is time to get up. But the moment I move to a sitting position, my stomach lurches, making me feel the need to find the bathroom quickly. So I get up and slowly shuffle to the bathroom connect to my room to throw up the contents of my stomach.

I have been in this city for less than forty-eight hours and already I am coming down with something.

As soon as mom comes to wake me for school, I tell her my predicament. Then she asks me if there is something wrong with Kikyou because her door is locked and she didn't answer when mom knocked.

"No, but I think she already left. Knowing her she has cheerleading practice that she didn't tell us about." Why am I sticking up for Kikyou anyway? It isn't like we are that close. Maybe because I don't feel like tasting the wrath that would be wrought on Kikyou; or is it that I don't want to receive any more servings of Kikyou's anger?

Either way, I am sticking up for the teenage witch, so she better be grateful.

After okaa-san left, I hear my window open and close again. I look over from my bed and see the same dog-boy from last night walking across my room and locking my door.

"What are you doing?" My breathing is hard and I'm not sure I can defend myself from him in the state I am in.

"I want some answers, and you're going to give them to me." His glare feels like daggers on my skin and I know I am in serious trouble. This guy is arrogant, strong, and extremely ticked off.

**I  
Do  
Not  
Sleep**

**Inutori:** I was so anxious to get the next chapter out that I cut it short!  
**Inuyasha:** No, you just want to be lazy.  
**Inutori:** Why are you always calling me lazy?  
**Inuyasha:** …  
**Kagome:** For those of you who are wondering when Sango will come in, you'll have to wait, because first Inutori will have to incorporate Shippou and Miroku-sama. So have patience.  
**Inutori:** Oh, and the persona who said that if they were Kagome, they would have just shut the window and given Inuyasha the bird, sorry, but he had already jumped in the room, so that was out of the question. Besides, the character Rumiko created wouldn't do that, even if in some fanfics she does. I like to try to stick with the character's actually personalities in these fics.  
**Inuyasha:** And don't worry, she's not yelling at you or trying to insult you in any way. It's just her way of explaining herself to yo-  
**Inutori:** (bops Inuyasha on head) Shut up, you're acting entirely out of character.  
**Inuyasha:** WENCH! What did you do that for!  
**Inutori:** Now that's the Inuyasha I have come to know and love! Review for me! And until next time, ja ne!


	4. Found Dead

**Kagome:** Inuyasha! Put me down!  
**Inuyasha:** Shut up Kagome! Inutori's gone right now, it's our chance to sneak out!  
**Kagome:** Um, Inuyasha?  
**Inuyasha:** What do you want now, woman?  
**Kagome:** Inutori just walked out of the kitchen. And she looks ticked.  
**Inuyasha:** (turning around) Wha? Bu-but…keh.  
**Inutori:** Where did you think you were going? Hmm, Inuyasha-kun?  
**Inuyasha:** You don't own me wench, I'm free to leave.  
**Inutori:** Sure, rub in the facts, but just because I don't own you doesn't mean I can't keep you hostage. Now get back in the cellar! You can't come out until you and Kagome have confessed your feelings for one another!  
**Kagome:** That is totally unfair!  
**Inuyasha:** Keh, I don't have any feelings for this wench.  
**Inutori:** I don't think that's true. Now get back downstairs! (picks up Inuyasha and Kagome and throw them through a metal door) That's better, now, on with the story!

**_Chapter 4  
Found Dead_**

"What are you doing?" My breathing is hard and I'm not sure I can defend myself from him in the state I am in.

"I want some answers, and you're going to give them to me." His glare feels like daggers on my skin and I know I am in serious trouble. This guy is arrogant, strong, and extremely ticked off.

I swallow, not sure if I am supposed to respond to him, but also hesitant that if I don't say something he will rip me to shreds.

"Where is Kikyou?" His growl sends shivers down my spine and I can't break away from those piercing gold eyes.

"I-I don't know. She spent the night at her boyfriend's house." I barely manage to sputter out the words. How has he gotten above my lax form? He is on my bed straddling my waist and glaring down at me.

"WHAT!" His eyes seem to flash even brighter with some unknown hatred. "You mean to tell me that that wench went to Naraku's house last night!" There is something going on here that I really want to know about. I really thought that Inuyasha was Kikyou's boyfriend, then she says he isn't, then some strange guy spends the night, then he gets all mad and jealous when he finds out she spent the night at some other guy called Noraku's house (or whatever his name was). Is this confusing or what?

"Yes?" Why am I so afraid of him? And why isn't mother coming to check on me with all the racket up here?

"That idiot! What did she think she was doing? Naraku probably has the jewel and is doing who knows what with it by now!" This guy seems to be completely ignoring me as his fists clench around the sheets on my bed and he growls with anger.

"What are you talking about?" I look up at him angrily, though I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it is the fact that he is completely ignoring me while pinning me to my bed. Or maybe it is the fact that he has blocked my retreat to the bathroom to relieve my turning stomach. It could be both.

"Keh." The guy looks down at me angrily. "You should have told me last night where Kikyou was, then I could have stopped that blasted Naraku, but now…this is all your fault, wench!" His face is just inches from mine and I can hear his loud growl. Sharp fangs are bared at me and his dog-like ears are pressed down against his head. Man is he angry.

We sit here for a few moments, neither moving an inch. It is kind of awkward, but I am not about to start squirming underneath him.

The boy's head lolls towards my own and before I know it, the heavy weight of the silver-haired boy presses against my frail body. My face heats up as his head moves into the crook of my neck and his warm breath runs across my skin. Being sick, I really don't have the energy to kick him off, no matter how uncomfortable I am sitting here underneath his sleeping form.

Eventually I come to the realization that he isn't going to be waking up any time soon, so I try to relax and get the sleep that is calling to my queasy form. How did he fall asleep so easily? I don't think I'll ever know. It's one of those mysteries that plague you for all of eternity.

I must have fallen asleep. For when I open my eyes, the dog boy is sitting on my windowsill looking out over the city. Sitting up weakly, I look at him with wonder. Before, I had been too caught up in the moment to truly realize how strange his features were, yet how familiar he was at the same time.

Where have I seen him before? I try to rack my brain, but all I come up with is something with a connection to Kikyou. Cocky…strong…arrogant…no respect for personal space…cares what happens to Kikyou…possibly…

"Inu…yasha?"

He turns his head and glares at me. "What do you want, wench?" His golden eyes seem to cut daggers into my skin and I grow very uncomfortable under his gaze.

"That's your name, isn't it? Inuyasha?" I look quizzically at him, trying to read his expression, but it is useless. Trying to discern this guy's thoughts is about as easy as talking to an ant and understanding it.

I hear the doorbell ring downstairs and I pull myself out of bed weakly. Figures that mom wouldn't be home with work and such. The guy I deem as Inuyasha just looks at me with what I see as mild amusement as I wrap a blanket around me and slowly make my way downstairs.

Opening the door slowly, I am met by a man with long black hair done up in a ponytail standing with his hat in his hands. He is wearing the uniform of a police officer, and man is he cute. The bright blue eyes don't help, I'm sure.

"Is this the Higurashi residence?"

"H-hai." I really shouldn't be checking out guys, I mean, I probably look horrible right now.

"Do you know a Kikyou Higurashi?"

What's he getting at? "Hai, that's my sister."

"Well, her body was found washed up on shore just past the bridge. She's dead."

This must be some sort of joke. "You're kidding, right?" Flashes of my dream run through my head. Kikyou had fallen off a bridge after being stabbed.

"No, ma'am. I wouldn't joke with such a matter as this." The officer seems to look elsewhere, before returning his focus to me. "She was murdered. Stabbed in the heart. Forensics think that her body was dumped in the river to dispose of it."

This is all too much. I slam the door in the man's face and sink to the floor, staring blankly at the wall opposite me. Kikyou is dead, and somehow I know that my little dream wasn't just a dream, but that it was actually what happened.

Curling into a small ball, I sit there lost in my own thoughts. That is, until I am so rudely interrupted by the silver-haired stranger.

"What are you doing on the floor, wench?"

The scene in front of me comes slowly into focus and I find the boy crouching only inches in front of me, leaning forward slightly. I suppress a scream and plaster myself against the wall in fear.

"Keh, coward." He stands back up and looks down at me with a menacing expression. Was he born that way or what? All he seems to do is scowl, yell, and growl.

"I'm not a coward. You just surprised me, that's all." I stand up and brush myself off: the shock of my half-sister's death still on the surface of my mind.

"Coward." He turns and starts to walk away from me just as I feel my stomach give a lurch and I am forced to run off to the nearest bathroom.

After relieving my stomach and drinking a small glass of water, I grumble my response to his earlier comment. "Takes one to know one."

I return to my room and collapse on the bed, overtaken by my sickly fatigue. It only takes a few seconds for me to drift off to the world of imagination.

_"Naraku! Get back here!" A man wearing black slacks and a dark purple shirt holds up a gun and points it at someone in the distance. "You can't run forever! I'll hunt you down till the day you die!"_

_After the retreating figure is entirely out of sight, the black-haired man sighs and lowers his gun, knowing that his plight is useless for now. A small binder holds his short hair back in a low ponytail and his violet eyes penetrates the room._

"_Who's there?" He looks around nervously, tensing his arms and aiming his gun._

"Wench, wake up. I'm hungry." I pull to a sitting position, only to find myself nose to nose with the stranger. Immediately I fall back to my bed with a slight heat residing in my cheeks.

"I'm not your personal slave, go get yourself something." I am sick, doesn't he understand that? Honestly.

**I  
Do  
Not  
Sleep**

**Inutori:** If you're not paying attention to the little dreams Kagome has while she's sick, than you'd better go back and read them, they do play a significant part in the future.  
**Kagome:** Can I be unsick now?  
**Inutori:** Unsick isn't a word, so don't ask me.  
**Kikyou:** I can't believe you had me killed, am I really that wretched?  
**Kagome:** Yes.  
**Inutori:** No, I understand that the Kikyou of the series isn't the old Kikyou. Got to keep in mind that the thing that wants Inuyasha dead has little or no soul left, but only her burning hatred of the hanyou to keep her living...in a sense.  
**Kikyou:** So then why am I dead?  
**Inutori:** You know, if you really were dead, you wouldn't be talking to me, so go get back to the morgue where you belong. (looks at readers) Now is the time for you to leave me those nice little comments I'm so addicted to. If you'd do that, I'll be your best friend...even though I'm normally a very anti-social person and have very few friends...


	5. Her Reaction

**Inutori:** I've had several people comment about Kagome checking out the guy in the last chapter, but honestly, if you're a girl, can you help to take a glance up and down a guy, even if it's not in a perverted way. I can say that I have absolutely no interest in the other gender as of yet, even though I do have simple crushes, but that does not keep me from looking at guys and assessing if they are cute or not.  
**Kagome:** Will you shut up already?  
**Inutori:** And for those of you who were guessing who the officer at her door was, one of you was right. A guy with LONG black hair tied up in a HIGH ponytail is none other than Kouga, I would describe Miroku as having SHORT black hair in a LOW ponytail. Speaking of which, does anyone have any ideas of how to incorporate Sango into this story?  
**Inuyasha:** Shut up wench, the sound of you're voice is giving me a headache!  
**Kagome:** I couldn't agree more. If only I had something like the 'sit' for Inutori…  
**Inuyasha:** (pulling face out of ground) What was that for? WENCH!  
**Inutori:** And I say it's a good thing I don't have a rosary on my neck and that I don't own Inuyasha…Now, last time on The Beat of the Drum, we left off with this:

_"Wench, wake up. I'm hungry." I pull to a sitting position, only to find myself nose to nose with the stranger. Immediately I fall back to my bed with a slight heat residing in my cheeks._

_"I'm not your personal slave, go get yourself something." I am sick, doesn't he understand that? Honestly._

_**Chapter 5  
Her Reaction**_

Inuyasha doesn't move from his position in front of me, instead continuing to glare at me like I am the scum of the earth. What is his problem? He looks as ticked as me when I'm having my period…maybe…nah, that just isn't right.

"Are you deaf? I said go get yourself something to eat and stop bothering me. Good grief! I'm sick, get out of my face!" It is becoming extremely frustrating having him look at me like that. Clenching my teeth together, I push myself up to a standing position and shove past Inuyasha with my blanket wrapped tightly around me.

"Woman, GET ME SOME FOOD THIS INSTANT!" His bark is directly in my ear, and man is my head pounding afterward…and I thought it was bad before.

I nearly fall over from the pain of my headache, but I manage to keep it together as I turn to face him with the nastiest glare I can muster in my sickened state. "Look, I don't know who you are, but if you want to continue staying here, you better not expect me to wait on you hand and foot. Now leave me alone." Is it just me, or did it just get hotter in the room?

Inuyasha grabs my shoulder and whips me around, glaring at me with his golden eyes. "Listen, I am a prince and heir of the intergalactic empire ruled presently by Inutaisho. I will not have an insolent whelp like you boss me around and I WILL not lower myself as to do the chores of a wench."

He looks so serious as he speaks, as if what he is saying was true. But 'intergalactic empire'? That is a little far fetched for even me to believe. This guy needs to come up with better lies. "Inuyasha, I don't know what kind of game you're trying to pull, but you better let go of me before I call the police." I try to squirm out of his grip, but in my illness, I am not strong enough to do much of anything.

His hold on me tightens to the point of pain and he brings my face up so that it is only a couple of inches away from his. "That is Inuyasha-sama, to you. You are on thin ice, and I will not allow-"

The door opens and guess who walks into the room? My mom. And where was she this entire time? Well, maybe the grocery bags in her hands make for a good alibi, but the look on her face gives me the impression that she has been listening in on us for a while. Wait, why is she bringing her grocery bags into MY room?

"Kagome Higurashi, you apologize to his highness right now. You are in no position to quarrel with Inuyasha-sama." How the-? If she was listening to our conversation, she obviously believed this lunatic holding me. But even my mother isn't that stupid. So maybe she knows something that I didn't.

"I am not apologizing to this jerk." Then I see my mother wink at me, and I know she is trying to convey a message to me, but I'm not exactly sure what. Perhaps… "It'll only boost his oversized ego."

"Kagome!"

Inuyasha is still holding me by the shoulders, but I don't look at him. That is the last thing I need. Showing him my fear is not a good thing, and I know how much my face betrays me in that respect.

"Keh, the wench can do whatever she likes…for now." He lets go of me and turns around to face the wall. "But when the time comes, Lady Higurashi, your delinquent daughter will not be given privilege to such mercy."

OK, something is seriously up, since when was my mother a lady? This situation is getting weirder by the minute.

"Please, Inuyasha-sama, forgive her, she knows not of what she speaks. I will give you anything if you promise to spare her life." My mother steps forward slightly and looks like she is at the point of tears.

"Fine, if that's the case, then what I want is for this wench to go retrieve the energy component your elder daughter so conveniently left in the hands of Naraku." I am lost, and I want to know what's going on without me. Will somebody please be so kind as to fill me in?

I don't speak, for I know my pleas will only fall on deaf ears. But still, I can't help but wonder exactly who this guy is and how my mother knows him.

"Arigato, Inuyasha-sama." Mom bows slightly, being careful not to drop the groceries she is carrying.

After Inuyasha storms out of my room, my mother looks at me with a look like she is about to make her exit as well.

"I don't think so. Mom, I want some answers, and I want them now." She sighs and sets her bags on one of the boxes still sitting unpacked on the floor.

"Hon, earth has been secluded so long from the galaxy, but there are other habitable worlds out there."

"Like the one that guy is from?" I add my own comments sarcastically, but for some reason I don't think mother realizes what I said was just me trying to make fun of the weird stranger.

"Precisely." She perks up and sits down beside me on my bed. "Now you see, the rest of the galaxy is extremely advanced in its technology, while earth is lagging behind. And as you may know, with new knowledge comes new contentions. Well, the galaxy has been broken into four different empires, and they are constantly at each other's throats."

"Do you have a point in this little speech?" I look impatiently at my black-haired mother as she looks back with pure intensity. It is really starting to creep me out.

"Kagome, don't interrupt me!" Mom's eyebrows lower and her look became a little colder. "Inuyasha-sama is the prince of the Western area of the galaxy and has come to earth in search of the sister power component of the Shikon no Tama. With it the Inu family should have the power necessary to stop the bloodshed."

"I'm sorry, but this sounds WAY to far-fetched for my tastes. Perhaps Souta will enjoy this more." I stand up with my blanket, suddenly feeling too prideful to show how sick I really am.

"Kagome, Kikyou's death was no accident."

I whip around and look at my mom, feeling my brain twist from the movement. "How did you know about Kikyou?" Having just found out about her death, it is a huge shock to me that mother already knows. Well, at least now I don't have to break the news to her.

"Kagome, dear, where do you think I've been these last few hours? I couldn't possibly be buying food that entire time. Lord Kouga summoned me to the river just before you told me you were ill, so I left. I had him come here and inform you."

"Wait, LORD Kouga? You mean the officer that was at the door? He was a lord?" I blink my eyes a few times, unbelieving of what I am hearing.

"Yes, and he told me that Mikotu Inuyasha was here, so I came back as soon as I could."

This has got to be one big joke, and somehow everyone forgot to fill me in on the punch line. I am just waiting for my mom to yell "Gotchya!" But as you may have guessed, it never happens. We sit there in silence for a good minute before mom picks her bags back up and leaves the room.

I hear voices coming from downstairs a few moments later and then everything goes silent. It feels like time has completely stopped and I am the only thing breathing. What exactly have I gotten myself into? Everything always seemed so normal and boring for me. But this? For some reason I feel like my life is never going to be the same again.

Falling back onto my bed, I close my eyes to try and relieve my headache. Quickly I drift off to sleep and fly swiftly to the world of dreams.

_A sudden rush runs through my body as whatever I am in comes to a stop. "We have been pulled out of hyperspace, captain."_

"_I know that, but why, Colonel?" The words rush from my mouth before I have time to think. My body seems to be reacting without me as well._

_I look to my left and see a small boy with a bushy tail punching keys on a control pad._

"_We're being hailed by another ship, should I put them on?"_

_Looking sternly to the side of me, I see an orange and black haired girl with earpieces placed daintily on each ear. She is looking at me with a concerned expression that says she is worried about something._

"_Yes, put them on. I want to know why we were ripped from hyperspace." _

_The screen in front of me comes on and a white baboon pelt covers the face I am met with. Only the mouth and jaw are visible and it gives the figure a look of evil intent._

_One word escapes my mouth and I have no clue what is meant by it. "Naraku." My eyes narrow and I tighten my grip on the chair I am seated in._

"_It's a pleasure to finally meet you, inu-hime."_

I open my eyes lazily as I try to recall the details of my dream. What was a dog-princess? And why was I called one?

Looking out the window, I see the stars that signify that night has at last come. Perhaps the whole day was one big dream. Kikyou's death, the inu Mikotu, my mother being a lady…it all just seems too far fetched to believe. And yet something deep inside of me urges me to not judge a book by its cover; that there is more to this story than what the summary said…

**I  
Do  
Not  
Sleep**

**Inutori:** I didn't really like the turn I took with this story, and if you don't like it either, feel free to review and tell me so. Enough complaints and I will change the story back to what I had originally had planned.  
**Inuyasha:** As long as I'm still a prince.  
**Kagome:** And I'm not some ditzy valley girl or anything.  
**Kikyou:** And if I'm still alive.  
**Inutori:** If I do change the story, I'm only going to be complying with Kagome's request, since hers is the only reasonable one.  
**Inuyasha:** MINE'S REASONABLE!  
**Kikyou:** I DOUBT YOU'VE EVER BEEN DEAD, SO DON'T GO SAYING IT'S FUN!  
**Inutori:** Oh, just shut up, you two. And all of you readers, review and give me your suggestions. Should I keep this chapter, or put it through the shredder?


	6. Mikotu Inuyasha

**Inutori:** Sorry this took so long. And just as a forewarning, future chapters may have large gaps between updates. I'm trying to catch up in school right now, as well as recover from illness.  
**Gem:** I hate being sick.  
**Inutori:** I know you do, because you're me.  
**Sagi:** That made absolutely no sense.  
**Gem:** So what?  
**Inutori:** I don't own Inuyasha, so don't sue me.  
**Sagi:** Even if they did sue you, you'd win because of how scary you can be at times: they'd run away crying for their mommy.  
**Inutori:** That's Gemini, not me  
**Gem: **But I am you, and you are me, so if I'm terrifying, you're scary.  
**Sagi:** (pointing at Gemini) She's creeping me out.  
**Gem:** Sounds like your problem.

_**Chapter 6  
Mikotu Inuyasha**_

My dreams have been getting weird as of late; the last one was about Kikyou coming back from the dead. Man was that creepy. And I thought she was evil when she was alive.

But after staying home for twenty-four hours, I do feel a lot better than before.

Yawning, I stand up, ready to begin a new day. The third full day of living in this strange house. I still need to unpack though. My box of clothes is cut open, so I dig through it quickly and pull out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

When I open the door to go downstairs, a pair of golden eyes meet me. It nearly makes me jump out of my socks as I look at the scowling face of my strange guest. Memories of yesterday flash through my mind and I too am scowling. I still don't get this whole 'intergalactic prince' junk. What kind of bizarre lie is that? Maybe I should call the authorities to try and find the asylum he escaped from.

But, no, my mother believes him, or at least appears to, and I don't need her locked up in the padded room next to this freak.

Thinking about the last 24 hours, I realize my story is turning into a cruddy retelling of Star Wars. Next, the bad guy will turn out to be my father that I never knew and…better stop there, no need to jinx myself.

The jerk-face and I must have been staring at each other for quite sometime because when my thoughts float back to reality, mom is yelling impatiently up the stairs for us to come to breakfast. I shrug past the lard blocking most of my doorway and drag myself downstairs to the kitchen.

If I weren't still recovering from being ill I'd probably have skipped breakfast and gone outside to practice some kendo; but I know that I am still unhealthy and that proper nutrition will be necessary. So I sit down at the table with a little reluctance and pour myself a glass of orange juice with one hand, the other reaching for the stack of pancakes set out. How I love to multitask.

Inuyasha (is that his name? I don't quite remember) comse down the stairs a few seconds later and glares steadily at me. I'm seriously beginning to wonder if he is going through PMS (who knows, guys could go through it too). But oh well, that's not really any of my business.

He ss down at the table right across from me and makes sure to 'bump' my shin rather forcefully with his clawed foot. OK, so maybe him having problems with PMS isn't my business, but his purposely getting on my every nerve IS my business.

If my mother weren't standing behind me at the kitchen counter, I swear I'd be in his face this instant pummeling him like there was no tomorrow. Which, for him, there hopefully wouldn't be.

Man, I'm barely fifteen and I'm already going senile, how sad and pathetic is that? Kikyou must have gotten to me.

That made me frown. Kikyou. Why was she killed? All this junk that is being thrown at me seems so bizarre, yet at the same time, I find myself believing it halfway. Maybe I am going crazy too?

"You're not going to school today, honey." My mother's voice from behind startles me slightly, and I drop my fork back on my plate to clatter against it noisily.

"Nani? Kaa-san, what do you mean? I'm feeling much better." I turn to look at her, and I am surprised to find a stern look covering her features. My life is getting weirder by the minute.

A week ago I probably would have thought it was the end of the world the day my mother actually looked serious. But yesterday…and now today? She must be on something to have changed so drastically.

"You heard me, Kagome. Today, you'll be going with Inuyasha-sama."

I turn slowly, a scowl covering my features once again as I meet with Inuyasha's cocky grin. "This must be some sort of sick joke." I cover my face with a hand. Perhaps I'm still sick and this is all some sort of made up reality brought on by my fever. But then again, things never are what we want them to be.

"No joke, wench. You're going to get me the Shikon no Tama, even if it costs you your life." Inuyasha's voice is filled with this annoying smugness that I just want to stuff a sock in. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he wanted me to die just for the sake of watching me suffer.

"Forget it. I'm not going anywhere with this idiot." I stand up, leaving my half-eaten breakfast on the table, and head for the door. My jacket is pulled from the coat rack by the door and I slip on my tennis shoes in one fluid motion. Today is not my day, for before my hand touches the doorknob, my arm is jerked back painfully and I'm forced to turn and look at the silver-haired freak of nature.

He is glaring coldly at me like I am the scum of the earth, so I return the look gladly. "Where do you think you're going, wench?"

"Away from you, dog-breath." I pull my arm out of his grip with a hard yank and quickly make my exit, not wanting to be in that house with HIM any longer.

Unfortunately, I am only spared his presence a matter of a few seconds, for he is soon crouched in front of me, flexing his claws dangerously. "Wench, you'll do as I say, or I'll have your head on a silver platter."

"Ooh, what a threat." I roll my eyes, hiding the fear building in my heart. His claws are sharp and strong, and I am well aware of what he could do to me with them.

He stands up and disappeas from my sight, reappearing behind me with his claws pressed against my neck a second later. "That wasn't a threat, that was an order." His hot breath feels like fire on my ear, and I know that if I could see his eyes, they'd be burning with hatred.

I nod quickly, wanting the pressure off of my neck, and with my movement, he obliges. "Why do you need me, anyway?"

"Because you can feel the jewel's presence. I can't."

"So, the big tough prince can't even do something as simple as sense spiritual powers?" I force a smile, trying to lighten the situation for myself. I really hate having a serious attitude. Perhaps that comes about because of being raised by a carefree woman and a senile old man…who knows?

**I  
Do  
Not  
Sleep**

**Inutori:** Short chapter, I know, but I am sick, and I am busy, so give me a break. At least I updated, ne?  
**Sagi:** Yeah, but it took you long enough.  
**Inutori:** Your point being?  
**Sagi:** You made everyone, including myself, wait for this chapter for WAY too long.  
**Gem:** Once again, it sounds like your problem.


	7. Galactic Empire

**Inutori:** I'm back for another chapter. I know, shock, shock.  
**Inuyasha:** Maybe if you had updated several months ago, when you were supposed to, it wouldn't be so surprising.  
**Inutori:** Whatever. I don't own Inuyasha; so don't sue me for using him and his co-stars.  
**Kagome:** My head is overwhelmed.  
**Inutori:** Better get things straightened out, because you'll just get even more confused in this chapter.

**_Chapter 7  
Galactic Empire_**

I rub my temple in misery. Of all people, why do I get stuck with jerk-face here? Inuyaha (who cares what his name is) is sitting next to me in the car, driving me to the bridge where I guess my half-sister was killed.

If I were in control of the universe, Inuyahoo would be next on the list of people to die. Good grief, I'm starting to feel sorry for his parents. I wonder if he has any siblings? If he does: poor, unfortunate souls.

Emu-boy coughs, grabbing my attention and pulling me back to reality. Apparently we have arrived at our destination.

"Wench, is it here?"

I roll my eyes. How am I supposed to work with this guy if all he can do is insult me? Honestly, I get no respect.

"What do you think, Inuyuhu?" (Inūyūhū) I look around the area briefly; keeping in mind my life depends on this. Nothing really stands out to me except…oh wait, were those policemen by the river? Big shocker there…not.

Kikyou probably just committed suicide and made it look like murder.

I sigh, angry at the world. Really, I just want to go to school and be a normal teenager. But no, I have to play servant to a freak who thinks he's an alien.

"Well, is it?"

Looking over at Inuyasha, I debate whether I should tell him the truth or not. Well, they say the truth hurts, so here goes: "No, Inubuhoo. If it was ever here, it left quite awhile ago."

"My name is Inuyasha, but you should be calling me Prince Inuyasha." He is definitely a snotty-nosed brat. What I'd give to rub that smirk off of his face and replace it with a broken jaw.

Gritting my teeth, I turn away from him and back towards the river. It is a peaceful place that reflects nature and not humans. Except for those warehouses on the other side of the bridge…

My eyes widen slightly. My dream…about Kikyou dying. She had been running away from some buildings onto the bridge. I feel my heart constrict.

Had I really seen my sister's killer? The night she was…killed? The possibility had already crossed my mind, but it never hit me as strongly as it does now. In fact, the timing of my dream _would_ have put me witnessing it as it happened.

A shudder runs down my spine. My life is circling down the drain, and I feel like it is getting way too close to the hole in the middle for comfort. I think my face is a little pale by this point, because Inuyasha starts looking at me strangely.

"Oi, wench, what's your problem?"

Yep, I must look pale or something. "N-nothing."

I swallow when I see the dark expression on his face. "Tell me now, human, or I may be forced to use other means of-"

"Threats, threats, and more threats! Maybe if you gave me a little respect, I'd give some back to you, Emu-baka!" I stand up straight, trying to be as threatening as I can, but when someone's taller than you, it's kind of hard.

Inuyasha got right up into my face, towering over me menacingly. "Listen here, woman, I am-"

Without warning some freak jumps on Inuyasha from behind, pushing him into me, and the three of us into the ground.

"Inu-itouto-chan!" A perky voice fills the air. It is a little too perky for my taste. The high-pitched squealing really hurts my ears.

"Get off of me!" Inuyasha's one to talk. He is on top of me as well as this other person, who I could guess was a girl based on the voice. Black hair manages to get in my face, but it is too straight to be mine. It must belong to the newcomer.

"Itouto-chan, you're no fun." The girl's voice sounds like she's pouting, but I feel a great deal of weight get off of me, and then Inuyasha's body follows.

I stand up, my eyes falling on a girl wearing a dark green full-body leotard with black lining on the outside of the legs and a large stripe down the middle of her torso that ended at a strange belt. Her arms also have the same black lining on the outside of the sleeve, but that blended into her straight black hair.

Her hair is something else. It is pulled back in a ponytail, but it comes down to just around her knees. Man that would have taken a long time to grow out.

"Who're you?" Perhaps I shouldn't be so straightforward, but I just can't help it.

"Oh! You must be the witch's cousin." A frown suddenly covers the girl's features, changing her appearance drastically. Are those dog-ears twitching on her head? They are just like Inuyasha's, only black.

"Witch?" I cock my head to the side, trying to keep myself focused on the conversation instead of those fuzzy triangles.

"Kikyou. She was so creepy and she had these bizarre powers to boot."

You know, this girl still hasn't answered my question. I don't know her name. But hey, at least we share the same sentiments about Kikyou. That thought makes me smile slightly. But…Kikyou is my half-sister, not my cousin…

She suddenly slams her palm into her forehead. "I'm such an airhead! I go on ranting about a dead girl and don't even introduce myself!" Finally she is going to tell me her name. "I'm Inutora of the Inu Taisho house! First in command of the royal army and heir to the Inu Taisho throne."

I just blink and continue staring. That is quite the introduction.

"And Inuyasha's big sister!" She leans closer to me to whisper, "You don't want to meet our big brother. He's a pompous jerk. That's why he was disowned."

Okay, so their family has issues besides really needing to be locked in the loony bin. "I'm Kagome Higurashi."

"Ooh! The Higurashi House! On top of the Miko House! Very impressive."

This girl is a serious, down-to-earth nutcase. What in the world is she talking about? "Umo?"

Inuyasha apparently thought this was a good time to cut in. "She doesn't know a thing about what you're saying Tora. Her aunt raised her away from the rest of the royal family."

Royal family? Higurashi House? Aunt? Nani?

**I  
Do  
Not  
Sleep**

**Inutori:** It was short, yes, but I was finally able to introduce the character I've been dying to put in. I drew her last semester during science and was pleased with how she turned out.  
**Inutora:** As some of you may know, I am the character Inutori got her penname from. Only to cut down on her own, and other people's confusion, I've been renamed.  
**Inuyasha:** Not only that, but Inutori found out tori means bird, not tiger. Tora means tiger. So that's the real reason why she changed it.  
**Kagome:** Why aren't Sango and Miroku and Shippou in this?  
**Inutori:** They will be, don't worry. I'm still building up the plot and characters, okay?  
**Sagi:** No, not okay.  
**Gem:** Shut up, Sagi. (to readers) Please review for me!  
**Sagi:** Germ…saying "please"? (heart attack)


	8. Vacuum Abyss

**Inutori:** Back for another chapter…finally. And since it took so stinkin long, I'll just say I don't own Inuyasha and let you run away to read the chapter.

_Inuyasha apparently thought this was a good time to cut in. "She doesn't know a thing about what you're saying Tora. Her aunt raised her away from the rest of the royal family."_

_Royal family? Higurashi House? Aunt? Nani?_

**_Chapter 8  
Vacuum Abyss_**

I am so confused. Why can't everyone just stop talking in metaphors and riddles and the likes and just say what they mean? It's frustrating.

The clear blue-sky overhead suddenly darkens, and my eyes trail up to where a strange metal something-or-other is floating above us.

"Inu-itouto, if you're looking for the Shikon, it's not on Earth anymore. I brought my best ship with me. Let's get going."

My head whips around so I can look at Inutora. She has a mellow look on her face and her composure is calm and collected. I could swear that everyone around me is doing some sort of drug.

"How did you know about the jewel, Tora?" I decide to just listen to the two apparent siblings, since I really don't have any idea what they are talking about and can't exactly join the conversation.

"How do I know about anything, little brother? I can read your mind, remember?" Inutora is looking at Inuyasha like he has grown a second head and a couple extra limbs. Reading his mind. Does that mean she can read my mind as well?

Creepy, if you ask me.

"Keh." Inuyasha looks away from his sister with a pout, signifying his defeat. I almost want to congratulate Inutora for her victory, but I resist since Inuyasha is still present.

"Well, shall we be going?"

"Where?" The question just pops out of my mouth before I can stop it. I really hope I don't sound too stupid, I already feel out of place as it is.

"To the Western Empire of course!" Inutora smiles broadly at me; easing the tension I feel building up inside. "And then we'll gather the troops and head off Naraku." A scowl fell over Inutora's expression. I can see the obvious relationship between the two people before me just through that frown.

There isn't much I can do to stop all of this from happening I guess, but I really wish I knew more of what is going on. At least they could give me that much, right?

Inutora snaps her fingers, as if she is just remembering something. "Ah, yes, I told mom that we would pick up Miroku on our way home."

I hear Inuyasha groan and slump his shoulders and it makes me wonder what is so terrible.

"So where is he?" The reluctance and agitation still continues to pour out with Inuyasha's speech, and I know that I must have missed something.

Inutora shrugs. "Don't know. He's been missing for nearly a year now."

"Who's Miroku?" Once again I can't keep my big mouth shut. Where's the duct tape when you need it?

"Our cousin." Inutora says it like it is no big deal, but I can see Inuyasha flinch and hear the growl that vibrates in his throat. "Inuyasha, quit acting like a baby." I watch with amusement as Inutora hits her brother on the back of his head with a disapproving look on her face.

**

* * *

**

Inutora has somehow managed to shove both Inuyasha and I onto her "spaceship." I'm a bit skeptical about this heap of metal's ability to make it out of Earth's atmosphere. On the flip side, however, how often do you see a floating barrage in real life?

I'm beginning to think that anything is possible. After all, I'm sitting in a well-decorated bedroom that Inutora said was hers, inside a floating ship, with people that have fangs and claws and the likes.

I must still be a little ill and all of this chaos hasn't been helping me recover. A wave of sleepiness hits me like a brick wall and I lay down on Inutora's bed to catch a little sleep. Being in this room makes me feel uncomfortable: like anyone could walk through that door at anytime and murder me.

It is a battle of will as one side of me drives my body into a forced sleep, and another part of me struggles to remain alert to the real world to keep me out of danger. Eventually, my tired side wins.

_I am standing in front of a large building. I have been here before, but I can't quite place it. A man is running from the building with something tucked under one arm._

_My mind loses control of my body and I unwillingly follow the man. His shirt is dark purple and his pants black; his short black hair is tied back into a rat-tail._

_He looks around himself: looks directly at me and then past. It is as if he saw me, but then I had become invisible to his view. His scan of the area must have assured him that he wasn't being followed, and he continues running._

_I run after him, and as he picks up his pace, I do as well. Doesn't he need to rest every once in awhile? The constant running is tiresome._

_A few huts come into view, and the man slows down, to my relief. I am breathing really hard, though amazingly I don't have any knots or stitches in my sides._

_He walks up to the door of one of the buildings, tapping on the wood and stepping back to wait for an answer._

_An elderly woman pulls up the skin flap that covered the door. "May I help you?"_

"_Yes, I'm a traveling monk called Miroku. If you could spare some bread and a place to sleep for the night, I will bless this house for your kindness."_

_I know that name. Where have I heard that man's name before?_

"_Kagome?"_

"Kagome?"

I slowly pry open my eyes, squinting from the bright lights that meet my tired lids. "Nani?" My response barely manages to stumble past my lips, and I realize after the fact that my question wasn't understandable.

"Kagome, wake up. I want to take you up onto the bridge." Inutora is gently shaking my shoulder, but I really don't want to get up right now. I'm just so tired. A yawn escapes my lips and I try to suppress it, but instead I just cover my open mouth with a hand.

"Coming. Give me a minute." I sit up slowly, feeling slightly dizzy from the head rush. Man do I feel out of it. My feet find their way to the cushioned floor and I push my weight forward and stand up.

"The crew wants to meet you, and then we're going to have supper."

Supper? I haven't even had lunch yet. What happened to eating lunch?

"I figured I'd better let you sleep since you seemed so wiped out, but if you don't get up now you'll be awake all night. That wouldn't be too cool."

So I slept through lunch, huh? That would definitely explain why I'm feeling so hungry. Inutora walks out of the room and I follow her. I can't tell where we are going since I am still out of it and not fully awake, but I am slowly coming back to reality.

We must have reached wherever we are going, because Inutora stops suddenly and I run into her back. She doesn't say anything about it, for which I am grateful. Instead she steps sideways and starts introducing people to me.

I open my eyes wider. "I've been here before!" Everyone looks at me strangely and I cringe. I said that out loud? Oops.

But it is the truth…I think. The room looks eerily familiar. Like the place I had been in one of my dreams. The one where I was the…Inu-hime. It dawns on me. I had seen something that was happening to Inutora in this very room.

My eyes stop at a girl with orange and black hair. She was in my dream. So was a young boy with auburn hair. Where was he? There. I find him in the cluster of people staring blankly at me.

Good thing I don't really care much what people think about me, otherwise I would have to go hide in some closet or something.

Even so, their looks are kind of unnerving. "Hey, I was just kidding! What's with your faces?" I have no clue what to do about the situation. I'm not a social person! Somebody help me! Onegai?

A bell chimes and all eyes turn to Inutora, who is smiling happily. "Food is served in the cafeteria, not on the bridge. Go eat your hearts out."

Inutora looks like she is being trampled by a frantic stampede, but when the last of the crew is gone she still stands proudly in the same spot as before. She is looking at me intently, as if she is trying to do something.

"It's true then. You're more powerful than even me." She looks coldly at me, a strange new expression for her face since I have come into her company. I have no idea what she looked like before today, but I'm not sure if I even want to know.

"What are you talking about?" Life just continues to get more and more confusing. And just when I thought I had figured things out, too. Bummer.

"I can't access your thoughts. Only those more powerful than me can keep me out. And even then it takes a lot of willpower to keep me at bay."

What is she talking about? I wasn't doing anything to "keep her at bay." Some people seriously need to consider going to see a psychiatrist. I'm probably one of them, I'll admit.

"Lady Higurashi told me her brother's daughter was powerful, but I didn't even think…you're unsurpassable." She has amazement in her eyes suddenly.

Not only is she spewing nonsense, but she is also having some rather quick mood swings. And did she say Lady Higurashi's brother's daughter? I thought this "Lady Higurashi" was my mother. Does that mean I'm the product of incest? I just shudder with the thought.

"It's no wonder that Kikyou was denied Inuyasha with you around."

"Excuse me?" That really did it. She has passed the line of confusing me and moved into the realm of irritating me with her incomprehensible words.

"You don't know?" Inutora looks at me with surprise and it makes me feel kind of stupid. It is like there is something that is supposedly obvious to everyone, but I have no clue what it is.

I shake my head to say no, since the honest answer is always the best one.

"Come with me to my room. We need to talk."

**

* * *

**

We sit down onInutora's bed and I find myself wringing the hem of my shirt in nervousness.

"How much do you know?" Inutora looks at me with a wise expression. Her sudden maturity surprising me though I try not to let it show.

"Nothing, really." I feel kind of ashamed because of my ignorance. Whoever said ignorance is bliss was severely mistaken. Ignorance is annoying.

"Well then, this is going to be a very long chat."

Inutora sighs, and I get the feeling that we are going to miss supper. There goes another meal that I should have eaten but didn't. I'm just grateful I took the time to eat something for breakfast.

"To start this off. You're Princess Kagome Higurashi. Daughter of Daisuke Higurashi and Sara Miko. Princess Kikyou Miko was the daughter of Conan Miko and Renee Higurashi."

"But Renee is my mom. And I thought Kikyou was my half-sister." This is all way too confusing. Perhaps I should pull out a book and take notes. Just a few words out of Inutora's mouth and already I am baffled beyond reason.

"Renee raised you, but she isn't your mom. She's your aunt. Her brother Daisuke is Emperor of the Southern Region and she raised you to keep you out of harm's way. Kikyou was second in line to the throne if you couldn't fulfill your roll, but now it's her brother Souta."

I try to say something, but Inutora raises her hand to stop me.

"Don't question me. You need to know everything, and it'll go faster if you don't interrupt."

A pout forms on my lips, but I keep silent.

"Now then. Inuyasha came to Earth because he had heard that the future Empress of the South could find him the sister component of the Shikon no Tama. He took the Shikon with him on his search and met Kikyou. Kikyou knew about the empires and such, and told Inuyasha that she was next in line for the throne."

I cock my head to one side, intrigued with the story and how much detail Inutora was actually aware of. Her knowledge is kind of overwhelming, really. I would never have guessed she knew so much when she first jumped on Inuyasha and made us all fall onto the hard pavement of the bridge.

"Later, Inuyasha found out that she had lied. But that wasn't until the request came from Kikyou for them to be engaged. Inuyasha was already engaged to the duchess of the South. That was one thing Kikyou didn't know about."

Wait a minute here…I'm supposedly the heir to the Southern Region's throne. Inuyasha is engaged to the duchess of the South. The emperor's daughters are sometimes called duchesses… "Wait, I'm engaged to Inuyasha?"

**I**  
**Do  
****Not  
****Sleep**

**Inutori:** Sorry it took so long. I know I haven't updated since last May. I'm pathetic, aren't I?  
**Inuyasha:** Always were, always will be.  
**Inutori: **Shut up, Inuyasha. Anyways, I made this chapter a little longer than normal just because it took me so long to update. And I'm really sorry about this. From now on I'm going to try and update at least one or two stories a week. Hopefully more, but we'll have to just wait and see.  
**Kagome:** This story is chaotic and confusing.  
**Inutori:** I understand if this story is over the head. It's over mine right now. I tried to clear a little bit up in this chapter. Inuyasha didn't play a major part, I know, and he will later, so don't worry. And Inutora will be a major character for now, since she gets to clear things up for Kagome, but once I've introduced the true Inu gang, I hope to set Inutora free from the confines of this story. Please review for me! Even though I took so long to write this chapter!


	9. Marriage

**Inutori:** I'm back...finally...it's been forever since I've updated and I apologize.  
**Sagi:** Inutori does not own Inuyasha, but she does own this story...so go ahead and read it!

_Recap:  
KIkyou's dead, Inuyasha dragged Kagome to the bridge where Kikyou was murdered, his elder sister shows up. Inutora takes Inuyasha and Kagome into outerspace where Inutora tells Kagome that she's engaged to Inuyasha. (Too bad I couldn't have just written that for the first 8 chapters instead of actually story, aye?_

_**Chapter 9  
**__**Marriage?**_

I haven't been able to find the motivation to get out of bed yet this morning. You wouldn't either if your whole life had been turned upside down like mine has been. Last night Inutora told me I am engaged to jerk-face Inuyasha. My life is ending. Can I kill something before I die? Namely an insensitive butthead known by many as a silver-haired, doggy-eared prince?

A knock on the door pulls me from thinking about my woes. Who could it be this time? Inutora stopped by half an hour ago to invite me to breakfast. She wouldn't be bothering me again, would she?

Before I have the chance to answer my own question Inuyasha comes through the threshold carrying a large tray. Why me?

I slump back down in bed, pulling the quilt up to my ears and hoping that he'll just disappear. Like that'll happen? Maybe I should quit dreaming and get back to reality? Ha! I should have done that before I got in a spaceship and was taken to who-knows-where. Maybe mom shouldn't have let me read all of those sci-fi novels when I was little. All of that craziness has found its way into my reality.

Inuyasha carelessly dumps the tray on the bed over me, and I realize that it was my breakfast he was carrying. Wait a minute. I can't eat this much! This is enough for at least three people! My "fiancé" climbs up on the bed and straddles my calves, sitting down to face me on the other side of the breakfast tray.

I just can't help but glare at him. I hope he shrivels and dies before my next birthday. Wasn't that when Inutora said I'd marry this bozo? A month after my sixteenth birthday? I'm beginning to hate whoever invented birthdays.

Inuyasha coughs. "Inutora said you needed to eat, wench."

"I'm not hungry." So maybe I am fibbing, but who really cares? This bozo doesn't, and no one else witnessed my lie.

Unfortunately, Inuyasha doesn't seem to take the hint. He hasn't budged. There's actually a boyish cuteness to his face when he's not glaring. Gah! What am I thinking? I can't start liking this freak!

"Do you really want me to shove this stuff down your throat?" Inuyasha's expression just turned more threatening. Maybe I should tell him I'll eat after he leaves? Would it work?

There's no harm in trying, I always say. "I'll eat when you leave."

Inuyasha's face only hardens more with my comment. "Inutora won't let me eat unless I'm in here."

That'd explain the excess amounts of food. Drat. I guess there is nothing I can do to weasel my way out of eating with Inuyasha.

I sigh in resignation, accepting my fate for the moment. At least the food doesn't look half bad. There are scrambled eggs and rice along with a fruit bowl.

I pick up the spoon and dish up some rice into one of the bowls. Glancing at Inuyasha out of the corner of my eye, I realize the proper thing to do is to serve him first and then get some for myself.

So that's what I do. Inuyasha's surprised expression puts a smirk on my face when I hand him the rice bowl. I quickly dish myself up some rice and pick up my chopsticks to begin eating.

The silence dragging on between Inuyasha and me is tiresome. But I don't know what kind of conversation we should have over breakfast. Silence it is, I guess.

I can't stop myself from looking up at him as he inhales his food. It's quite amusing to think that a prince has these sorts of manners. Hopefully he behaves better in front of his mother.

When I look up at him, he does the same, and I find my eyes glued in place. I am staring right into his eyes, and he is staring into mine. Kind of unnerving, but I'll live if he can.

The expression on his face makes me think that perhaps he is as curious about me and marriage as I am about him and this engagement. I don't know how long we have stared at each other, but I think the food is getting cold.

My leg twitches under his weight and whatever magic held us bound is broken. The heat in my face is unbearable and I desperately want to hide under the covers again.

Inuyasha's bowl is empty, so I use it as a distraction from having to look directly at him. I fill the bowl with more rice and pat it down into a neat mound, trying to suppress the emotions twirling in my gut.

It feels as if I have just gotten off of a roller coaster and no one let me sit down for a breather. Silence continues to surround us as we finish up our meal. It surprises me how much Inuyasha is able to eat. I'm jealous that he can eat so much and yet stay so thin.

I lay back in my bed and stretch my arms above my head, glad that I have fully recovered from my illness. Or maybe I haven't…after all, if I am lucky, this whole plot is just some concoction of my bizarre imagination.

The thought makes me grin, despite how down I've been feeling since last night. Thanks to Inutora's story I was barely able to get any sleep at all.

Inuyasha picks up the tray and leans over to set it on the floor. I can't place the feeling running up and down my spine as he shifts his weight on my legs.

"Oi. Wench. Your stomach is showing."

I wrench my arms back down to my sides to pull down my shirt and pick my head up to glare at Inuyasha, who is once again perched on my legs. Very effective at pinning me to my bed; I'd give him a standing ovation…that is…if I COULD stand.

"So sorry, your mighty-stupidness. Did I offend your eye sockets?" I mock him with glee, basking in the anger that plays across his face with each passing second.

"Look here, woman," Inuyasha lunges forward and pins my arms at my sides, kneeling above me, "I take no pleasure in being in your company. You would do well to remember this and the fact that the only reason you're alive right now is because of your father."

The heat once again rises in my face as Inuyasha's head hovers inches above mine and I'm left completely defenseless. Despite his threats, I still don't want to submit my will to this bozo. He'll have to kill me before that happens. "Then kill me."

Okay. So no one ever rewarded me for being the brightest crayon in the box. Telling him to commit homicide is definitely one of the stupider things I've done with my life. But seeing his sharp, long claws inch toward my neck in response is a bit much even for me.

I scream and hope someone, somewhere will hear me.

Inuyasha's body collides with my own as he covers his ears to protect them from my wailing. Not what I had intended, but this works too. He curses me and turns his head into the crook of my neck where I can feel his breath fuming against my exposed skin.

His weight is crushing me. Forget that he's skinny; I wish he were light to boot. That would make sustaining his weight that much easier. Instead I have to endure his bone-crushing mass until he decides to get off of me. Now I know why I was having trouble freeing my legs from underneath him during breakfast. He must be made of steel.

"Stupid woman. Your voice is going to make my ears bleed."

The day I hear an actual compliment come out of his mouth I'll know I've had too much to drink…that or he has. "Excuse me for reacting like any normal person when threatened with death."

Inuyasha hasn't yet moved from his position of burying his face in my neck. "Keh. Most people don't tell someone to kill them."

Much to my annoyance he is right; what makes it worse is that I know it. I've always hated admitting defeat and right now it is taking every ounce of will power I possess to keep from continuing with a pointless fight.

"Can you at least get off of me?" I sigh with annoyance, forcing air into my lungs and feeling it rush out again under Inuyasha's dead-weight.

"No."

"Excuse me?" Why can't he get off of me, exactly? Surely he doesn't expect me to allow him to…

His snoring breaks through my train of thought and I groan. This guy is the rudest living thing I have ever met. How can he fall asleep just like that? I just don't get it. With a start, I realize that this was the second time he has fallen asleep laying on me since we had met.

Accepting my fate for the moment, I look up at the dull ceiling, eyeing the metal plates and bolts that held them in place. Once again I find myself thinking that my life is one big, low-budget Star Wars remake. Why can't I just live a normal life like everybody else in the world?

But NO; I have to be carted off by an idiot into outer space for who-knows-what. I close my eyes and let the darkness engulf me.

_I look to the side, seeing a large boomerang fly through the air beside me. Looking behind where I stand, I see a young woman in a black full-body leotard. She catches the boomerang and slides back slightly across the ground from the weapon's momentum._

_She yells something, but I can't understand her. The boomerang is thrown again and I follow its path to a horde of giant wasps. Ugh, I hate regular wasps; being the size of my torso makes it a hundred times worse._

_I watch as the woman jumps onto something that looks like a surf board and flies off. The bugs chase her, but I don't follow, instead looking back at the cave the bees had been protecting.. Just inside there's a man crouched down, covered by a baboon pelt and holding something shiny in his palm._

I must have fallen asleep, because my eyes jerk open when I feel something pinch my neck. It is painful, on top of catching me off-guard.

Inuyasha's dead-weight is still on top of me, but in my surprise I shove him off and jump off of the bed. I grab my neck, pulling my hand away again to see blood on my palm.

I run quickly to the bathroom to look in a mirror and find teeth marks in my neck.

"You bit me!" I jerk around and step out of the small side room to glare at Inuyasha, who is slowly sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. I think I shoved him into the wall in my rush to get out of the bed.

"What was that for, wench?"

"You bit me!" I repeat myself while holding a hand to my neck, feeling angrier as the seconds pass. For the first time since I met him, to my surprise, Inuyasha turns red.

"Yeah right!" He snaps at me, folding his arms and legs while remaining on the bed.

He is so going to get it; I'll kill him one day. "Then explain the teeth marks in my neck!" I march towards him, pulling the hand away from my neck and pointing at the lovely circular formation of puncture wounds.

Inuyasha leans forward slightly, glaring at my neck as if willing the marks to go away. I wish. It does sting, after all.

"Keh."

He turns away from me, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes. I glare at his profile. He is so stuck up. "You jerk. You could at least go find me a band-aid or something."

It would help to know my way around this stupid place. Inuyasha probably has a lot better idea of where everything is, much to my misfortune.

The door behind me opens suddenly and I jump around and let out a yelp of surprise. One of the crew stands in the doorway, looking disheveled.

"Mikotu Inuyasha, Captain Inutora wants you on the bridge right now." The girl had orange and black hair pooling around her face, her eyes displaying some sort of fear.

Inuyasha jumps up off my bed at a speed that surprises me and he runs to the door, sparing me one last glance before leaving the room with the tiger-looking girl.

"Alone once again." With a sigh I go into the bathroom again and look at the marks on my neck a little more closely. Is it just me, or does the bruise forming look like some sort of unfamiliar symbol instead of normal blood pooling under the skin?

What did that stupid prince do to me? I find myself sighing again as I wet a hand towel and wipe it over the side of my neck to wash off the blood. Life just hasn't been on my side lately.

With curiosity I make my way out of Inutora's quarters. No one told me to stay there, after all. The bridge is up ahead of me, if I remember correctly from yesterday.

I reach the bridge and freeze in the doorway. On a large screen of some sort there is a picture of a man whose face is mostly covered by a baboon pelt. When I glance at Inutora I see Inuyasha standing next to her, both of them looking extremely tense.

"Give up this little escapade. You'll never win against me, inu-hime." The baboon-man looks smug despite the covering over his face. That annoys me: what does he have to be smug about?

"Shut up, Naraku. You severely underestimate the Inu Taishou and what we're capable of." I can almost feel the contempt pouring off of Inutora in waves. She doesn't seem to be aware of anything but that man on the screen.

"You're capable of nothing but becoming a semi-decent throw-rug before my hearth." I bristle with the man's evil undertones, stepping forward angrily.

Words leave my mouth before I can stop them, "Listen here, scumbag, I am sick and tired of you putting yourself on a pedestal and acting like you rule the universe. Murdering and manipulating for your own gain is a sick game that will be stopped. Better settle your affairs, Naraku, because you're not going to be alive much longer."

The mouth left exposed under the baboon pelt frowns darkly at me before the screen suddenly goes black. With the communication obviously terminated, I can visibly see the air thin as the tension dissipates.

"Kagome-chan!" I look up at Inutora and Inuyasha as the former comes rushing towards me. She appears to have a look of smug glee mixed with concern.

I smile warmly, feeling better after letting loose my frustration at Naraku. He isn't my only problem, but he seems to have been a good way to relieve stress. If I had known I would feel this much better, I would have asked to speak with Naraku sooner. "That felt good."

A grin overcomes Inutora's face and she pulls me into a tight hug. After a moment she jumps away from me as if electrocuted. The confusion in her expression is clear.

"I don't bite, Inutora-sama." I cock my head to the side slightly, wondering what merits her sudden repulsion to being in physical contact with me.

As quickly as she had jumped away, Inutora is in my face again, this time holding my chin and tilting it to the side as well as slightly upwards. "Maybe not, but you've been bitten."

Her comment makes my stomach drop as I remember that I had been bitten; and by Inuyasha, no less. "It'll heal in a few days," I find myself saying, not wanting to make a bigger deal out of what is already a fairly embarrassing situation.

"Not this bite, Kagome-chan." Inutora turns away from me to look behind her, and it seems she's glaring at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, to my quarters now." Her voice is fierce and demanding, not leaving room for debate.

I nearly snicker as Inuyasha's eyes widen like a deer caught in headlights before he bolts off of the bridge so quickly that all I catch is a blur of red and silver.

"Kagome-chan, follow me." Inutora turns a kind eye to me, but I can see a hidden irritation underneath the caring expression.

I nod, not wanting that anger turned on me. If she's mad at Inuyasha, that's hilarious; being mad at me though, that's no laughing matter at all.

She turns on her heel, walking quickly away from the bridge, and I find myself having to jog slightly to keep up. If I remember correctly, we're heading back to Inutora's room.

Wait, isn't that where she just sent Inuyasha? Great. I do not want to have to face that moronic baboon right now. But at the same time I really don't feel like incurring the wrath of Inutora, seeing as how she is being a bit testy this morning…or is it already afternoon?…who knows.

I catch sight of her door up ahead and look to Inutora strangely as she drastically slows her steps.

"Before we get there, Kagome-chan, I need to explain something to you."

My eyes scan her profile, her focus up ahead. "What?" I prompt her to continue, really wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"Since you have been sheltered from the Galactic Empires, you wouldn't know this, but Inu youkai customs are much different from the things I've heard about that happen on Earth."

"Customs? In regards to what?" What is my problem? All I'm doing is asking questions! Each second I feel myself shrinking as I get dumber and dumber.

"Mating."

I feel heat build up in my cheeks. "Eh?" Someone give me an award here for highest IQ or something!

We stop outside Inutora's bedroom door, and the golden-eyed woman looks straight at me, looking more mature than I had ever thought possible. After all, think about how I met her, honestly!

"What, on Earth, you call marriage, we refer to as mating. It is different for us though. There does not need to be a ceremony, no witnesses, no leader overseeing the affairs."

I do not like where this is going.

"Becoming mates is begun by either the male or female of the couple biting their partner at the junction where the neck meets the shoulder. This bite is not ordinary, and actually punctures the person's soul."

"M-my soul? You mean Inuyasha's trying to eat my soul! Gross!" I yell out, not realizing just how ridiculous I sound until after the words have already poured from my mouth.

Inutora's stoic mask washes away as she begins laughing. "No! Nothing like that, Kagome-chan! The bite in the soul is to create an opening for the couple's souls to be joined."

Oh. Now I feel even more stupid.

"Problem is, once the ritual has been started, lack of completion will result in the death of one or both of the pair, depending on what stage of the ritual things were left at."

Great, so if I don't "mate" with Inuyasha now, I'm going to die. That's a comforting thought. And here I was thinking I had almost a year to brood over my miserable fate. The entire cosmos must be against me or something.

"Now, let's go talk with Inuyasha." Inutora turned to open the door and I panic.

"W-wait! I don't know anything about this ritual yet! I'd rather know what's going to happen than to go in blind."

Inutora nods but continues to the pad beside the door, punching in her room's unlock code. "Yeah, but Inuyasha doesn't know much more about the ritual than what I've just told you."

"Then how do you know?"

She turns to look at me, pausing before pressing the "unlock" button. A hand trails up to her neck and she pulls at her uniform slightly after moving her hair out of the way. "Because I've already mated."

My eyes narrow as I study the mark on her neck. There are creamy colored imprints in an oval shape around an unrecognizable symbol that looks like a tattoo. Something clicks and I snap my fingers mentally: the border of dots are the scars from someone biting her neck.

Just…like…mine…

The door opens beside me, causing me to jump and turn to look into the captain's quarters. Inuyasha is sitting on the bed across the room, his legs and arms folded and a pout adorning his features.

In all honesty, he looks really cute like that. Gah! What am I thinking? I do NOT like him like that!

I must have stood in the hallway for awhile, because I'm now being forcefully yanked into the room by the arm. Inutora is responsible for this action.

Once the door is shut behind us, I go and sit on the bed next to Inuyasha, figuring that's where Inutora wanted me judging by her look of impatience.

"Okay, my pretties." Inutora grins at me and then throws a glare at Inuyasha. I try to hold in my chuckle. "The mating ritual must be completed within 24 hours from when it was initiated. May I assume that Inuyasha's bite took place after breakfast?"

I speak up, "Only a few minutes before Inuyasha was called to the bridge, actually."

The black-haired woman nods. "Good, that gives us several more hours. Anyways, I'll try to make this as succinct as possible:

"The next step is for Kagome-chan to bite Inuyasha's neck on the right side, since he bit you on the right." I opened my mouth to speak when Inutora continued, "Don't interrupt me or this will only take longer. It doesn't matter if you puncture the skin; you'll feel when you've bit his soul.

"After you are both bitten, you need to press the two marks together until you are connected in heart. Once this comes, you can either separate or go further in the physical contact department, as is the common thing to do during the mating ritual.

"And that's about it for now. Oh! And Kagome-chan, you're going to have to move to Inuyasha's room. Mates are to be together whenever possible, especially when the bond has not been consummated by rutting."

"E-excuse me?" Too much info, I think. I am going to have to be married by this time tomorrow thanks to the jerk next to me. But rutting? Can I say crude on the wording?

"Another Inu term that is equivalent to what you know as sexual intercourse."

How can she say this all so calmly and with a straight face? She's talking about the most precious act for any person as if she were mentioning what she ate for breakfast. A bit uncomfortable to listen to in my book.

She is looking between both Inuyasha and I as if considering what to say next. After a moment, sure enough, she opens her mouth and continues, "I just assume that you two are not in the stage of your relationship to participate in such an intimate act. Because of this, you two must have skin contact almost constantly to keep your souls stable. Understood?"

I nod, and I can see Inuyasha nodding as well out of the corner of my eye.

Inutora claps. "Good, good! Now, Inuyasha, take Kagome to your room and finish the mating ritual. It's no good to procrastinate. And I am going to hail the palace and fill mother in on recent events."

"No! Inutora, don't!" Inuyasha's outburst makes me jump and I turn to look at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"Inuyasha, she's going to find out sooner or later, and if we wait, she'll be even more upset because no one told her before." Inutora's voice is once again stern, leaving no room for dodging the facts.

"Keh." Inuyasha stands up and starts walking to the door. I wait only a matter of seconds before I too jump to my feet and leave Inutora's room.

When I'm just outside the door, I turn around and smile at the Inu royal, bowing slightly to say, "Thank you, Inutora-sama." That out of my system, I jog to catch up with the fast walking Inuyasha.

"Oh, and Kagome?" I turn around to look back down the hall to where Inutora is standing just outside of her room. "I'm going to be contacting your father as well."

**I  
Do  
Not  
Sleep**

**Inutori:** Chapter done! I'm actually quite a bit into the next chap as well, so hopefully I'll have it up fairly soon. Happy Valentines Day!


	10. Mating Ritual

**Inutori:** Here's another chapter, as promised! (half a year later...)  
**Kagome:** Though really, it doesn't make up for that long period of not updating squat.  
**Inutori: **Well...meh! By the way, for all of those delusional enough to think I'm Rumiko Takahashi: I'm not, and therefore don't own the Inuyasha characters. The only one that belongs to me that I'd prefer you refrain from kidnapping is Inutora. That all makes sense, no?  
**Kagome:** No.

_**Chapter 10  
Mating Ritual**_

The silence between us is awkward, to put it lightly. We've been standing in Inuyasha's room for a few minutes, one of us on either side of the room.

I have a feeling that, because I've already been 'bitten,' it is now my turn to make the first move. A blush spreads across my cheeks as I recall Inutora's instructions. There is no way that I'll be able to do this calmly.

Taking a deep breath, I step forward, approaching Inuyasha slowly. I think Inuyasha's starting to get a bit flushed in the cheeks as well, but that might be my imagination. Finally, after what seems an hour has passed, I'm standing in front of him, craning my neck to look up at his face.

This is going to be awkward.

I reach up with both hands and loop them around his neck, pulling him down to my level. With another breath for courage, I lean into his body and clamp my teeth on the point where his shoulder meets his neck.

A strange sensation meets me as I taste his slightly salty skin and push my teeth in. Inutora said I'd know when I had bit his soul, but how is that exactly?

I nearly jump away from the silver-haired prince when his hand pushes into the back of my head. He's shoving me into his neck! As the force of his hand increases, I suddenly feel something slowly swirling beneath Inuyasha's skin and under my teeth.

An instinct I didn't know I had kicks in and I bite down slightly harder on Inuyasha's neck, feeling the distinct breaking of whatever that strange feeling was. Inuyasha releases his hold on my head and I step back, looking up into his golden eyes.

He's looking at me, but I can't really read the emotions hidden in those eyes. So much for the eyes being the window to the soul; it's the neck. I can't help but smile a little with that thought, my eyes closing slightly with my little joke.

Before I know it, Inuyasha's body is suddenly pressed against mine and our necks are pressed against each other. Ah yes, that's right: the next step.

Not knowing how long this is supposed to take exactly, I don't dare move, instead opting for studying the wall of Inuyasha's quarters. It's just as boring as the plating of Inutora's room. Just some sort of metal with bolts holding the hull together. Whatever happened to interior decorating?

Time is dragging by, and I don't know how long we've been standing here, but my feet are beginning to get tired and I think my arms are falling asleep.

"Er…Inuyasha? How long do you think this is supposed to take?" This is an uncomfortable position, after all. It is actually probably even more painful for Inuyasha, who is bent over to make this possible.

"Keh. How am I supposed to know? I've never mated before."

Well, that is the intelligent response of the century. "Well isn't it nice to know that I'll be your first mate." I narrow my eyes at the wall, wishing Inuyasha could see the glare on my face. "I was just wondering if maybe we could sit down or something."

Inuyasha doesn't answer me, so I take it as a no. I guess a girl can dream, right? I'm not exactly marrying prince charming so I can't expect to be treated properly.

A few moments pass by in silence before I hear the shuffling of material as Inuyasha begins to move. Within a split second, Inuyasha's left hand is holding my neck to his and his right hand is grabbing my butt.

I let out an indignant squeal, but his arms keep me from doing much else. My face is getting darker by the moment as Inuyasha's hand digs into my rear and my feet are lifted off the ground. Shrieks continue to escape my mouth and Inuyasha creeps his hand along my body to get a firmer grip.

"Shut up, woman, I'm moving us so we can sit down."

Oh. That explains it. But still…does he really have to grope me in the process? "Gomen. Thank you, then."

"Keh. Whatever, wench."

I don't say anything in response, though I have to bite my tongue to keep that silence. Inuyasha is, after all, trying to be at least a bit nice to me and I shouldn't be overly cruel to him.

My eyes close with a sigh and I relax slightly in his hold, trying to put my mind on other things. Maybe search out a more embarrassing moment than this to dwell on. Nope…this definitely tops the cake of humiliating experiences.

I can feel as Inuyasha sits down on his bed with me on his lap. He adjusts my body, my muscles not responding to the urging from my brain. Soon enough, I'm kneeling over Inuyasha, straddling him and seated on his lap while our necks are still pressed together.

My mind loses focus as I shift slightly to relax against Inuyasha's chest. He is kind of comfy and warm; besides the fact that I'm stuck here for who-knows-how-long.

Eyes closed, I barely make note of the sensation running over my lower back. Realizing something doesn't equate, I focus on that unfamiliar feeling. After a moment, I realize that it's Inuyasha's claw tracing invisible designs on my back.

Based on how it feels, it appears Inuyasha has lifted up my shirt slightly to attack my bare skin.

"Ano…Inuyasha…what are you doing and why?" I sit my chin against his shoulder, trying to keep my concentration and not lose my mind to the soothing feeling his claw was giving my muscles and head.

"I'm amusing myself. It's dull just sitting here." He speaks in a bored tone, adding volumes to his already obvious statement.

"Oh." It makes sense, I admit; but that still doesn't mean I gave him permission to touch me the way he is doing now. Just like I didn't give him permission to bite my soul!

Well, if he's using me as entertainment, I'll use him for the same purpose: provided I can keep focus on something other than his fingers on my back.

No more words are past between us for quite awhile and I am nearly asleep, running my hands through Inuyasha's silky white hair. I wonder what kind of shampoo he uses to make it so soft? Hopefully he'll share it with me.

It feels like hours have gone by and nothing out-of-the-ordinary has happened yet. Inuyasha had rolled up my shirt earlier so it was out of his way and I find myself not really caring, as odd as that is. His cool fingers constantly circling on my back makes the silence a bit more interesting by interrupting it with gasps and the arching of my back to escape the cold fingers every once in awhile.

"I think I could learn to love her."

Is Inuyasha talking to me? And if he is, man, was that random. Who's he talking about anyway?

"You heard me?" I can feel Inuyasha tense and his hands grab the sides of my waist.

Err…I didn't say anything, how can he know if I heard him? And I'm not deaf anyway.

"But you wanted to know if I was talking to you."

"No, I only thought that." Is Inuyasha on something? And if he is, why isn't he sharing?

"You had to have said it out loud. I'm not on anything, don't insult me." His voice is gruff and I can tell that he isn't in a joking mood. "Stupid wenches and their need to put others down."

"But…if that's the case…then…" We must be able to hear each other's thoughts. Creepy. Talk about a loss of privacy.

"Keh. You shouldn't butt in to my head. I don't want you knowing what I'm thinking."

A smirk makes its way to my face as I tilt my head more into Inuyasha's neck. "Like that thought about learning to love me?"

Inuyasha's hands tighten on my waist and his back straightens, signaling that I have hit it right on the mark; that and his thoughts were screaming '_YES!'_ "Keh. Don't flatter yourself."

"Hey, I think this was what Inutora-sama meant by 'connected in heart,' so I think we don't have to sit like this anymore." Just as I say this, Inuyasha and my stomachs growl in unison.

"Keh. Good thing too. It's past dinner time by now and I'm starved."

I sit up to look Inuyasha in the eye, breaking our contact at the neck. "Dinner? But I haven't even had lunch!" Being on this ship has really been messing with my eating habits.

"That's a personal problem, wench."

If I could, Inuyasha would be so dead right now. Instead of ending his life though, I shuffle off of the bed and stand up, looking down at Inuyasha. A cold feeling rushes through my body and I struggle to stay standing.

Whatever I'm experiencing, I'm not facing it alone. In front of me, Inuyasha's face has paled and his eyes are beginning to look strange. Remembering something else Inutora mentioned, I lean forward and grab Inuyasha's hand.

Immediately my body feels normal and I can see the color returning to Inuyasha's face. He looks at me strangely and I feel my cheeks heating slightly. It was Inutora that said that we need to have skin contact at almost all times if we didn't "consummate" the coupling.

"Skin…contact…huh?" Eyeing Inuyasha as he speaks, I can see the cherry blossoms that are normally known as his cheeks. At least this isn't embarrassing to just me.

I find myself nodding timidly in response to Inuyasha's question, not trusting myself to speak at the moment.

We walk to the mess hall holding hands, no words spoken between us. I haven't been hearing any of Inuyasha's stray thoughts, so I can only assume that whatever that connection earlier was is gone for now. At least I'm not experiencing any pain currently.

In the eating area, I see a few people finishing off a variety of foods from green mush (is that really food?) to a tub of chocolate ice-cream. The ice-cream is in the possession of that small fox-like child with auburn hair. Is it really a good idea to let a kid that size eat that much ice-cream? The bucket looks to be about as big as him.

Inuyasha pulls on my hand and I stumble clumsily after him towards what must be the kitchens…or whatever they had as far as kitchens go on a spaceship. Maybe they had some sort of protein synthesizer or something that imitated any food you wanted like all those Star Trek thingies have.

Oh, I hope not; that sounds disgusting.

Fortunately, it seems luck is on my side as I can see over a serving counter into an area that appears to be a kitchen with what must be a cook cleaning up. So I'm not going to have to eat anything out of a protein synthesizer; that is a big relief.

Inuyasha starts talking to the dude in the kitchen, but I zone him out and take in the large room. Even after two days on the ship, I still had not been in many areas of the place and am curious about the craftsmanship.

It looks like a mix between a Starbucks and a school cafeteria. Well, that's an interesting combination, if I do say so myself. But I'm not the decorator of the ship…thank Kami…

"Wench, come on." I jerk around to look at Inuyasha, who is holding a tray with food substances balanced on it. With a nod he drags me to a table in the back corner and sets the food down.

Next he pushes me into one of the hard seats and sits down across from me. He ducks under the table and I nearly bolt when his free hand wraps around my ankle. What is he doing?

Despite my questioning stare, I can feel Inuyasha removing my sock, not making eye contact with me. My eyes widen considerably as I feel my foot being moved under Inuyasha's shirt to press against his firm stomach. The muscles I'm sure I have somewhere refuse to obey my brain's demands, and my foot remains motionless.

"Er…Inuyasha?" My face is feeling unusually hot, and despite my growling stomach, I'm not sure I have much of an appetite.

"Keh. Don't get the wrong idea, girl. I just want to eat with both hands." He doesn't even have the gall to look up and say that to my face. Feeling a bit angry, I snatch some food off of the tray and chomp down.

Ooh. Inuyasha is so infuriating. Someday I will annoy him as much as he annoys me in revenge. That is…if no one locks me in a padded room and throws away the key first.

Dinner is eaten in silence, the only interaction between us being when Inuyasha finishes his own food and tries to steal mine. I swat away his hand once again and continue ingesting my meal.

If my ears aren't deceiving me, I think I hear Inuyasha make a sound that sounds like "keh" before he leans back in his chair and crosses his arms. My foot involuntarily twitches against his abdomen, and I duck my head towards the table as Inuyasha shoots a glare at me.

After a few minutes of suffering under his glare. "Fine, my appetite's gone. Dig in." I shove my food across the table and sigh as Inuyasha immediately devours it. Talk about a lack of manners.

He quickly finishes off the food and grabs a hold of my hand, dragging me over to the kitchens to drop off the tray before leaving the mess hall. I find myself stumbling to try and keep up with Inuyasha as he storms through the maze of halls that make up this ship.

With an indignant huff I realize I'm still lacking a sock just before my foot makes contact with some sticky substance of unknown origin. How rude; I hope he didn't leave my sock in the mess hall. I only have the clothes on my back, after all.

Before I realize it, we're standing on the bridge, with Inutora's back to us.

A black ear twitches in our direction, signifying that the captain heard our entrance, before the raven-haired sister of my…mate, was it?…turned to look at us.

"I assume, by your presence here, that everything has been accomplished as per my instructions."

"Keh." I look out of the corner of my eye at Inuyasha: there was that strange sound again. If he makes it so often, why haven't I noticed it before? "We dropped from light speed while the wench was stuffing her face. Why?"

My eyes narrow as Inuyasha's insult sinks in. I am no wench and I did NOT stuff my face. He was Mr. I-have-no-table-manners, not me. Nevertheless, I keep my mouth shut and just continue to listen to the exchange between the siblings.

"I told you, we're picking up Miroku."

"But I thought you had no idea where he was." I watch as Inuyasha's face seems to take on a tint of green. That's interesting.

"True, but luckily I have many contacts throughout the empire and he was spotted on a nearby planet. We're waiting for permission to land as we speak."

"Keh." There it was again! The sound is so strange, I wonder where he picked it up from…

I'm jerked out of my thoughts as Inuyasha turns and walks briskly off the bridge. Once again I'm forced to follow behind him clumsily, trying desperately to keep my precarious footing.

Shortly, I find myself once again in Inuyasha's quarters…well…I guess they're now OUR quarters. Man, this is just too weird.

A growl from Inuyasha grabs my attention and I turn to stare at him. "What's with the animal sounds?" I cock an eyebrow at this practical stranger holding my hand…er…I mean, husband…

He ignores me and pokes a clawed finger into a keypad on the wall. "Computer, bring up all information on mating customs regarding physical contact or soul binding to my vid."

"Searching…Searching…Information retrieved…Now downloading to Virtual Information Device…Download complete."

The computerized voice is strange to my ears, but Inuyasha seems perfectly fine with it as he drags me over to his bed and sits down, pulling me in front of him so that my back is to his chest.

A cold feeling comes to me as Inuyasha lets go and moves around quickly behind me. The sensation stops when Inuyasha's hands go beneath my shirt to sit on my waist.

With his chest pressed against my back, I find my heart beating harder and faster, blood rushing to my cheeks with embarrassment. I turn slightly to get a look at him, only to begin attempting to become a tomato at the sight of his shirtless torso. He did not…

I jump as I feel my arms being lifted up and my shirt is quickly pulled over my head. When this happens, I jump to my feet. "Excuse me?" I cross my arms over my bra-clad torso and glare at Inuyasha, ignoring the cold pain trying to overwhelm me.

"Just sit back down, wench."

Yeah, his words just make me want to leap gleefully into his arms. Fat chance after that little stripping act he just pulled!

I don't have much time to think as black begins to seep into my vision and my muscles start giving out. What in the world is wrong with me? Keh, who am I kidding, I know what's wrong: I'm married to an insane alien at fifteen!

My body falls forward onto my despised enemy, the muscles in my limbs refusing to move for a few moments as my head slowly clears. Wait a minute…did I just think 'keh?'

That's not a good sign; Inuyasha's vocabulary is already starting to be ingrained into my head. Pretty soon I'll be sounding as stupid as him on a regular basis. Not good. Not good at all.

As I become more aware of my surroundings, I notice that my cheek is laying on Inuyasha's stomach, just above his belt. Ooh…embarrassing; almost worse than that "mating ritual" earlier.

Inuyasha shifts and my face heats up even more, despite the fact that I'm actually quite comfortable sitting on the floor with my head basically in this weirdo's lap. The guy must've been lying back on the bed, for his torso moves and my head is shoved back and more onto his lap and between his slightly parted legs. I think I'm now red down to the tips of my toes and I'll never be normal colored again.

He grabs my arms and lifts me up like I'm a feather-weight (which I know I'm not; he has got to be super strong). Without any effort on my part, I am soon situated between Inuyasha's legs, his bare chest flush with my back, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You have a serious problem, girl." My eyes narrow even as I feel Inuyasha's arm tighten around my waist to pull me closer to him. First he strips me, then he insults me. If that's the way he's playing, then he's not getting laid tonight.

I. Did. Not. Just. Think. That.

There is just no way. I'm turning into a pervert, somebody please shoot me now! I could NOT have been considering letting that freak have his way with me! No WAY! It's official then: I've lost all semblance of sanity.

As I'm off in my own thoughts, Inuyasha reads whatever is on this little computer screen next to the bed. He doesn't seem to be paying me much mind, so I glance at what he is reading, only skimming since I really don't care all that much.

Mates this, mates that, rare cases of mate reversal, mate dies, possessive mates. Why does Inuyasha find this so interesting? Talk about BORING!

My innards do a back-flip unintentionally when Inuyasha's thumb moves in a small circle over my exposed skin. When I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, he's not looking at me, still focused entirely on that stupid pixilated screen. For some reason I don't think he's really even aware of what he is doing to me.

A part of me really wants him to stop; this is way awkward and I'm done with awkward for today. The other part of me wants more: more of what though, I'm not sure. As embarrassing as this all is, a part of me just finds itself content, like this is what's supposed to happen.

Yeah, that's it. I'm destined to "mate" with a freak who thinks he's an alien prince brat and travel the outer reaches of space vanquishing all evil-doers and bad men.

Bah!

I think I'd rather go back to a high school where I'm estranged because I'm an oddball nerd and don't have many friends. That sounds like heaven right about now.

Unfortunately, I doubt I'm about to wake up from this nightmare now more commonly known as my messed-up life.

**I  
Do  
Not  
Sleep**

**Inutori:** Hope you enjoyed that chapter! Chapter 11 is already being written, so hopefully it won't be TOO long before I update again.  
**Kagome:** Yeah, only another year or so.  
**Inutori:** Oh shush up, Kagome. Quit being so negative**.  
Kagome:** You try being positive when you're stuck in a "spaceship" with a bunch of lunatics that you don't even know!  
**Inutori:** (stoic, completely serious face) As opposed to being stuck in a "spaceship" with a bunch of lunatics that you do know?  
**Kagome:** You're impossible.  
**Inutori:** Thank you. I try. Now, my faithful readers, please review and encourage me to write/post more chapters! (getting reviews and not working on a story really sends me on a guilt trip) Ja ne!


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